Uzumaki Naruto was floating in a sea of blackness. The warm, comforting darkness that surrounded him caressed his body, preventing any of his injuries from interfering with his thoughts. Unfortunately for him, that is exactly what he had been hoping his unconsciousness would do. At least he would be able to escape from the guilt weighing on his mind.
"YOU SUPID GAKI! YOU NEARLY GOT US BOTH KILLED!"
And get out of the lecture his nine-tailed tenant was giving him.
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU, AND WOULD GLADLY LET YOU DIE UNDER ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE EFFECTED! IF YOU DIE, THEN I DIE YOU STUPID BAKA!"
Naruto sighed, praying for someone to wake him up sometime soon. The fox had been going on about 'baka this, ningen that' ever since he had lost consciousness. It was really starting to grate on his nerves.
"WHY WOULD YOU LET THE UCHIHA BRAT PUT US IN THIS STATE?! WHY DIDN'T YOU GO FOR THE KILL?!" The Kyuubi roared, growing annoyed with his container simply remaining silent.
"What was I supposed to do?" Naruto asked, his voice flat and hollow. Even the Kyuubi was taken aback by how depressed he sounded. "I could never do something like that to Sasuke-niisan. Even if I died, I could never kill someone precious to me. But it doesn't matter now, because now my precious people won't care about me anymore. I failed, and Sakura-neechan will hate me for it." Naruto's voice never wavered from his monotone, showing just how broken he was.
"Pathetic ningen." The Kyuubi snorted softly, attempting to cover up the fact that Naruto's state actually affected him. "If you had simply remained distant to the Uchiha brat and the pink-haired banshee, then none of this would have happened."
Naruto simply looked over at the Kyuubi, his normally brilliant blue eyes now dull and cloudy. "Niisan and neechan are the only reason that my life is worth living, along with Hinata-chan and Kakashi-sensei. They are the only ones who have seen the true me, and accepted me. Without them, I would be just like Gaara." There was a slight tone of indignation in his voice, stemming from the fact that the Kyuubi was belittling the attachments he had. "Now, I won't even have those. Niisan severed his bonds with me with a Chidori, neechan will never forgive me for breaking my promise, and Hinata-chan and Kakashi-sensei will think I'm pathetic!" Naruto's voice gradually became filled with rage, until he was screaming his frustration into the dark.
The Kyuubi was stunned by the depths of his host's feelings, completely caught off guard by Naruto's admissions. The thousand-year-old fox thought back to something he hadn't thought about in hundreds of years; the promise he made to his tou-san. Now, he saw a way to fulfill the promise he has neglected for nearly a millennia, in the form of the blonde thirteen-year-old in front of him.
"Then get stronger." The Kyuubi replied gruffly. Naruto snapped his head towards the floating cage so fast Kyuubi was sure he had gotten whiplash. "If you aren't strong enough to get the Uchiha back, then get stronger. If you truly want to change the minds of those pathetically narrow-minded and hateful villagers, then get stronger. If you want to claim the pale-eyed girl as your mate," Naruto turned red at the implication, and began sputtering out denials, "then get stronger." The Kyuubi finished, ignoring the blonde's protests at Hinata being referred to as his mate. "I have watched you grow kit, and I believe you are different from the other humans I have met. Instead of giving into hatred for being despised, ignored, and abused by those who do not understand you, you have taken their hatred and attempted to change it into respect and admiration, and not once did you stop protecting them. My tousan once told me that in order to change the world, we need to follow this mantra; you shall not hate, you shall forgive. You shall not attack, you shall defend. You shall not pity, you shall understand. Only by following these teaching can you change the world my children." The Kyuubi sighed, a mournful look on his face. "We attempted to follow our tousan's mantra, myself and the other Biju, but we eventually gave into the hatred that the humans displayed. Now, it is time I remembered the purpose my tousan set for us; to change the world, and end the hatred that lurks in every human's heart."
Naruto was absolutely flabbergasted. His saucer-sized eyes were nearly bulging out of his sockets, and his body was completely slack. It was a good thing he was floating in the representation of his unconscious mind, otherwise he would have fallen and bashed his head on whatever floor he had been standing on. The Kyuubi chuckled at the young Uzumaki's shocked expression, before continuing his explanation.
"I will allow to use my power, and help you gain more, if you promise me one thing; don't ever give up who you are. Continue striving for greatness kit, and one day you will change the world." The Kyuubi said softly, almost tenderly, smiling at Naruto. It wasn't a vicious smirk, or a bloodthirsty grin, but a real smile.
Naruto finally recovered his voice, before asking one simple question. "Why? Why me? Why are you going to help me all of a sudden? How come you only realized that I only want to help people now? Who's your tou-san?"
Well, maybe more than one question.
"QUIET!" The Kyuubi bellowed. The teen instantly shut his mouth with an audible 'clop', and the Kyuubi glared at him through the cage bars. "Cease your incessant questioning. I will explain all to you in due time, but now…" The Kyuubi trailed off, as the mindscape began to shift. Naruto felt gravity overtake him, and soon he and the Kyuubi were falling downwards. "…I believe it is time you woke up. People have been waiting for you."
Naurto barely registered the Kyuubi's parting words. The sewer room that represented the
Hakke no Fuin Shiki came into view, and he screamed as he hurtled towards the stone floor. His body hit the ground with a loud thud, and his world shifted.
00000
Completely unaware of the drama unfolding inside the unconscious blonde's mind, several people were waiting anxiously for his return to consciousness. All of them were gathered in his hospital room, and had been waiting several days for Senju Tsunade, the Gondaime Hokage and the foremost medical ninja in the world, to end the hyperactive knucklehead's enforced coma.
Including Tsunade herself were the remnants of Team Seven; Haruno Sakura and Hatake Kakashi. Both were positioned to Naruto's right, knowing that to be his dominant side, praying for him to wake up soon. Both had decided to drop the 'act' they kept up in public around each other (which had been devised by Naruto to keep them safe from those who hated him for his tenant), and were letting their concern show through. Sakura wanted her otouto to wake up and annoy her again, and Kakashi wanted the boy he treated like a son to awaken and brighten his life again. They had already lost one member of their little family, and couldn't stand the thought of losing another.
To the left of Naruto's bed were Hyuuga Hinata and Nara Shikamaru. Hinata was concerned for the boy she loved, having no idea that he returned her feelings, and Shikamaru wanted to make sure the last member of his retrieval team would pull through. The Nara felt responsible for Naruto's condition, and since the other members of the team had already pulled through he could focus solely on Naruto.
Off to the side were Tsuande and her apprentice, Kato Shizune, whom were administering another dose of a counter sedative. They had already administered some already, but something was keeping Naruto from waking up.
"Hokage-sama, why isn't Naruto waking up?" Umino Iruka, Naruto's academy teacher and surrogate older brother, asked nervously. The scared chuunin was pacing near the foot of Naruto's cot, clearly worried for the blonde prankster.
"Grr, I don't know!" Tsuande snapped, thumping her fist against the IV organizer in frustration. The busty blonde underestimated her strength, as always, and left a sizable dent in the machine's paneling. "I've already administered two extra-strength doses, but something is keeping him from waking up. His delta brain waves suggest that he's dreaming, but not even an Uzumaki should be able to sleep through this!" A vein pulsed in Tsuande's forehead, indicating her fury over Naruto's refusal to awaken.
"Won't that hurt him Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi asked worriedly. The silver-haired man blamed himself for Naruto's condition, having focused more on Sasuke than his other students/children, and believed that if he had taught Naruto more then he wouldn't be in such a terrible state. "I mean, two doses is pushing it, but with them both being extra-strength-"
"Are you questioning my medical expertise Hatake?" Tsunade asked him ominously.
"No, no! I'm just worried is all." Kakashi waved his hands in front of his face, attempting to placate the blonde. He had no doubt that, in her irrational state over Naruto's inability to wake up, he could easily end up with severe injuries from her monstrous strength.
"Good." Tsunade huffed. "And I understand your concern, but Naruto will be just fine. The gaki's body is more resilient than anyone I've ever seen, so he should be alright." Tsunade examined several other monitors, discerning facts from the readouts that would appear to be gibberish to anyone else.
"Naruto-kun is strong." Everyone's eyes focused on the source of the small voice that spoke up, noting that the comment came from none other than Hinata. "He never gives up, so I know he'll be okay."
Sakura was taken aback by the absolute confidence in Hinata's statement, but gave a small smile to the indigo-haired girl since she was the first to recover from the novelty of hearing Hinata speak without a stutter. "Of course he will. He's too stubborn and stupid to do anything else." Sakura said affectionately, looking at the sleeping blonde before her.
Kakashi smiled at the pinkette, the crinkling of his only visible eye the only indication that he was. "Of course. He's going to be Hokage one day; I'd expect nothing less from our future leader."
Shikamaru and Hinata looked stunned. Neither had seen this side of Team Seven, the familial side, and so their confidence in Naruto came as an absolute shock. They looked at each other, making sure they had both seen the rabid, Naruto-hating, Sasuke fangirl and lazy, apathetic sensei who played favorites actually show concern and affection for their 'dobe' of a teammate.
"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered under his breath. Everyone heard him however, and he quickly found himself pinned by Sakura's glare.
"What was that Shikamaru?" The kunoichi growled. "What's so troublesome about me caring for my little Naruto-baka?" She prepared to march around the cot and deliver a 'friendly bop' to the lazy genius, but was stopped by her sensei's outstretched arm.
"Relax Sakura." Kakashi said calmy, lazily gazing at the other two genin in the room. "No one knows how we act in private." The copy-nin reminded her upon sensing her confusion, before giving her a smile after letting her think it over for a moment. "Of course, our first-rate acting didn't exactly give us the best impression of a functioning team, let alone one that thinks of each other as a family."
Sakura smiled at Kakashi, while Hinata and now Iruka remained completely confused. Shikamaru, however, had a small frown on his face as he tried to piece together the statements of the conscious members of Team Seven, while Tsunade and Shizune continued to examine their instruments in order to find out what was keeping Naruto from waking up.
Suddenly, Naruto's heart monitor began rapidly beeping, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. The blonde's face contorted into a rictus of pain, causing Tsunade and Shizune to spring into action.
"Shizune! Grab the morphine, 10 cc's!" Tsunade barked, pushing Hinata and Shikamaru aside to reach Naruto. Shizune nodded, and scrambled out of the room to comply with her master's orders. Tusnade's palms began to glow a soft green, and she began scanning Naruto's body for the source of his pain.
"Hokage-sama, what's wrong?!" Shikamaru shouted, taking his mind off of his earlier ponderings for a moment. "Is Naruto okay?!"
The question was quickly echoed by Sakura, Hinata, Kakashi, and Iruka in quick succession. Tsunade ignored them all, continuing to move her hands up and down Naruto's body. They stopped for a moment over his stomach, briefly flashing brighter for a moment, before continuing on. They came to rest on his forehead, and Tsunade's face was completely stoic as she halted her diagnostic jutsu.
The Gondaime quickly turned to the others in the room, including Shizune, who had returned with the requested item, and everyone held their breath at her grim visage. However, everyone let out a breath of relief as a small smile broke out across Tsunade's face.
"He's fine. The counter-sedatives finally took effect, and his brain was finally brought out of it's comatose state. He'll be waking up soon." She informed them. Hinata and Sakura both had large smiles on their faces, with the former having a slight blush across her cheeks. Shikamaru crossed his arms and huffed out a 'troublesome' under his breath, but the smirk on his lips betrayed his true feelings. Iruka was grinning widely along with Shizune.
Tsunade was pleased by everyone's reactions to the news that her favorite gaki would be okay. The blonde truly cared for him like the son she never had, or her annoying little grandson, and having others who truly cared warmed her heart. However, she shifted back into doctor mode as soon as everyone finished processing the news.
"As nice as it is that the gaki will be up and complaining soon, I'm afraid that none of you will get to talk with him for very long. His body is still weak from being in a medically-induced coma for nearly a week, so he won't be awake for long. I advise you all to say what you need to and make it brief once he wakes up."
A chorus of disgruntled and stoic 'Hai's' rang in the small room, quickly punctuated by a soft groan. Everyone spun on their heels, eyes widening as they identified the origins of the groan. In a flash, Sakura and Kakashi were back in their original positions, hoping to be the first things that greeted Naruto when his eyes opened.
00000
Naruto groaned softly as he finally returned to the land of the living, cursing his method of awakening in his head. The damn fox just had to go and get all emotional and motivational on him, then drop him hundreds of feet to hard concrete. He refused to open his eyes however, as the first thing he felt as the last of his unconsciousness fled was pain. He knew he was in the hospital, based on the fact that his body was wrapped in something and his body was pressed into something that was infinitely more comfortable than the rocky outcropping he passed out on. Still, that didn't mean he had to like it.
"Otouto-kun?" A soft voice called out, very close to his right side.
His eyes shot open, and he immediately turned to the source of the noise. He had been hoping, praying that he would have more time to come up with something to say to his nee-chan and sensei on why he failed back to bring nii-san back, but it appeared that that was not the case. Because standing at his bedside were the two people he definitely didn't want to see, not until he had time to prepare.
Vibrant blue met stunning green and deep gray eyes (or eye, in Kakashi's case), and tears began to well up. Despite the assurances of Tsunade and Shizune, the two most promising doctors ever, Kakashi and Sakura couldn't shake the horror and worry that had plagued them when they had seen the state Sasuke had put Naruto in. Seeing his eyes finally open was a supreme relief to them both.
"Ne-Nee-cha-chan?" Naruto croaked out, his throat dry from nearly a week without water. Sakura grinned at the label, and tears streamed down her face as she pulled him into a tight hug. She was supporting most of his weight, but she didn't care; the little ball of sunshine she had adopted as her little brother was going to be okay.
Likewise, Kakashi was overjoyed that Naruto was on his way to recovery. The guilt of favoring Sasuke and neglecting his other students training, despite viewing and treating them as surrogate children, weighted heavily on his mind. This was exacerbated by the fact that Sasuke had used a technique that Kakashi gave to him, thinking of him as his own son, to nearly kill Naruto.
Naruto was completely and utterly lost. He was absolutely certain that Sakura and Kakashi would hate him for failing to bring back Sasuke, but instead they were crying over him (or tearing up, in Kakashi's case), and were relieved that he was okay. He hastily grabbed Sakura by the upper arms, and shoved her away from him.
Sakura, his rejection of the embrace he always cherished with his nee-chan catching by her by surprise, stumbled back into Kakashi. Only his reflexes as an elite shinobi prevented them from both falling to the ground. They both looked up at Naruto in shock and sadness, the former coming from his expression. He was propped up on his left arm, his right held across his body as if he was afraid they would hurt him.
His rejection also stunned everyone else in the room. Tsunade and Shizune already knew about the kind of relationship Team Seven held, having learned about it from Naruto when he went to retrieve Tsuande to become Hokage, and were surprised he would reject comforting from the girl he loved like a sister, whom he would do anything for. Iruka, Shikamaru, and Hinata were utterly shocked that he would reject and embrace from his crush, though they were beginning to suspect that they had a different relationship if what they called each other was anything to go by.
"O-Otouto-kun, why?" Sakura choked out, her heart filling with worry and sadness. "If this is about Sasuke-kun, I'm so sorry!" Sakura sobbed. "I should never have made you promise that otouto! I was being stupid and selfish, and you had to fight your niisan because of that dumb promise!" Sakura wailed, convinced that her dear little brother hated her for making him fight his precious older brother, the person he loved and looked up to more than anyone else.
"N-No nee-chan, it's not your fault!" Naruto cried out, his voice raspy from a lack of hydration. He was too late though; Sakura had already bolted for the door. In her haste to escape, she failed to hear Naruto's response. Throwing open the door, she sped through doorway to get away from the family member she failed. "NEE-CHAN!" Naruto called out, trying to halt her retreat, but to no avail. She was gone.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto begged, looking desperately at his father-figure, hoping for his help in this situation.
Kakashi turned his stunned eyes from the door, having watched his surrogate daughter sprint from the room in tears, to the little blonde on the bed. His heart was already cracking, and seeing the desperation on Naruto's face broke it in two. He nodded, understanding the pleading in the blonde's eyes, and 'poofed' away.
Naruto simply let the tears flow, the overwhelming sadness he had been feeling finally washing over him. When he had been talking to the Kyuubi, the dam holding it back had been strong. He felt there was no way in hell that Sakura or Kakashi would ever forgive him for failing to bring back Sasuke, thus destroying their little family. When he had awoken, the shock of having them still concerned for him and willing to call him family had been too much, and he had pushed Sakura away. Now, with him being the cause for her tears, he was terrified that the forgiveness they had was gone, and he would lose his family. His most precious people.
Everyone else simply watched the drama unfold, unwilling or unable to get involved. Tsunade, Shizune, and surprisingly Hinata, were all aware that despite the comfort they wanted to give Naruto, only Sakura would be able to alleviate his pain. Iruka had stepped forward, ready to enfold Naruto in a comforting embrace, but was held back by Shikamaru's Kagemane no Jutsu. The Nara simply found it too troublesome to intervene, but he also figured the same thing that the three females already had. Unfortunately for him, Iruka actually spoke out in protest.
"Shikamaru, let me go!" Iruka growled. His soft spot for his favorite former student didn't tolerate anyone that cause Naruto pain or stopped someone from relieving it, and in his eyes, Shikamaru was guilty of the second. Feeling his own head shake in response, Iruka grit his teeth and focused his chakra. Breaking free of the jutsu with surprising ease, Iruka stepped forward and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto…"
Iruka was cut off as the blonde whirled around, the touch finally breaking him out of his trance, with surprised etched all over his features. "Iruka-sensei?!" He cried hoarsely, before noticing the rest of the people in the room. Tsunade and Shizune, he knew (having personally told them), already knew about the façade his team put up to protect them from those who hated him, but the other two did not. "Hinata-chan?! Shikamaru?!" Naruto cried out their names as he noticed who was now privy to the secret of Team Seven. His surprise and horror were cut short however, as a fist slammed down onto the top of his skull.
Hinata turned scarlet, having easily heard Naruto's affectionate honorific attached to her name, while at the same time her face twisted into and expression of horror as Tsunade clocked him over the head.
Shikamaru merely grunted and stuck his pinky in his ear after the blonde finished shouting. "Troublesome. You really shouldn't yell Naruto, this is a hospital." The lazy chuunin drawled, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Although, now that I think about it, this secret should have been obvious. Every other team became closer as we trained and went on missions, while you guys stayed the same. I guess it was just too troublesome to admit that you guys became family huh?" Shikamaru hypothesized.
Naruto sniffed, wiping away some of his tears. He didn't want to appear weak in front of Hinata. He shook his head at Shikamaru's question, hesitating when he, Hinata, and Iruka looked at him for an answer. Ignoring them for a minute, he looked over at Tsunade, who had approached on the right side in order to silence his yelling, and gave a tired smile that was obviously force.
"Heya baachan. Don't you know that you're not supposed to hit sick people?" Naruto asked rhetorically, a small hint of anger in his voice.
The blonde Hokage snorted, staring down her fellow blonde. "Didn't you hear? Fool's never get sick." She chuckled a bit as Naruto's expression changed from puzzlement to indignation. She reached forward and ruffled his hair. "Good to see you up gaki."
Naruto smiled at her, before his expression quickly went back to depression as he remembered what happened with Sasuke then Sakura. Putting that in the back of his mind, since there was absolutely nothing he could do about it, he focused on the other people who had been with him on the failed retrieval mission.
"Baachan, is everyone else okay? Ya' know, Chouji, Neji, Kiba, and Bushy Brows?" Naruto asked, desperate to know what had become of his comrades and feeling immensely guilty for not thinking of them sooner.
Said woman sighed, knowing that this was coming. "Yes, everyone is going to be fine, although it was a very close call with Chouji and Neji. You, however, got the worst of it by far." Tsunade's face grew dark as she recalled the state Naruto was in when Kakashi brought him in. "That bastard of an Uchiha nearly killed you; multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung, severe burns, a gaping hole in your shoulder, I swear gaki if it weren't for the fact that the wound was cauterize by the electricity you would have…." Tsunade trailed off, finally realizing what affect her rant was having on the blonde.
Naruto felt terrible. All the things that had been done to him had been done by Sasuke, his idol, his rival, his niisan. The one person he looked up to more than anyone else, the first person to understand him, and a member of the Team Seven family, had come within an inch of killing him. Speaking of family…
A 'poof' heralded the arrival of Kakashi, apparently back from wherever Sakura had led him. Said girl was being held bridal style in his arms, her eyes puffy and red from crying. Kakashi also looked visibly upset, and it was obvious that he had shed a few tears as well. Naruto looked over at them, tears welling up in his eyes as Kakashi gently set Sakura on her feet.
"Nee-chan…" Naruto whimpered, instantly drawing Sakura's attention. The pinkette looked at the pleading expression on his face, and quickly rushed over to him. She wrapped one of her arms around his neck, the other lacing itself in his golden spikes. Naruto instantly felt the warmth of his nee-chan's embrace wash over him, and he finally let himself go. He buried his face in her shoulder and cried out all of the hurt that he had over Sasuke's betrayal, and all of the relief he had over still having his family. Kakashi came over and joined them, wrapping his arms around the shoulders of his students.
Team Seven was still a family. An incomplete family, but a family nevertheless.
00000
"How are you feeling gaki?"
Naruto bolted upright at the sound of a masculine voice coming from the window. Turning to his right, he saw his on-again off-again teacher, author of the renowned Icha Icha series, and self-proclaimed super pervert, the Sannin Jiraiya.
"Ero-sennin? What're you doing here?" Naruto asked. Ever since the hyperactive blonde was reunited with (what remained) his adopted family/team, he was in a much better mood.
Flashback
"Of course we don't hate you otouto-kun." Sakura reassured him, with Kakashi nodding vehemently over her shoulder. They were alone in the room, so they could speak freely. "You tried your hardest to bring Sasuke-kun back to us, back to me. I should never have asked you to do it because I was too weak to." Sakura pulled back from Naruto, sniffling as she recalled seeing his broken form slung over Kakashi's back. "Because of that-"
"It's fine neechan!" Naruto interrupted, hoping to avoid another bout of crying from the guilt-stricken girl. "I would have promised anyway! You wouldn't be happy without niisan, so I had to be a good otouto and bring him back!" Naruto puffed his chest out proudly, causing Sakura to giggle and Kakashi to chuckle.
"I know." Sakura smiled softly at him. "You are the best otouto anyone could ask for." The pinkette said fondly. She knew how lucky she was to have gotten to know the real Naruto, instead of the idiot mask he put up, and she thanked Kami every chance she got. No matter how bad things got, he was always there for her and Sasuke. The last thought caused her to frown slightly, her resolve to return the favor stronger than ever now. "But next time, I'm gonna be just as strong, so we can get your niisan back together."
Naruto smiled. Not his goofy grin, or a smile to hide the pain he felt, but a true smile, and it lit up the room. Kakashi had a permanent smile on his face, judging from his eye, as he watched two of the three he viewed as children interact.
"Naruto," Kakashi spoke up, with both the blonde and pinkette turning to him. "we will get Sasuke back." The jonin reassured. "We'll find him, and when we get him back, I'll stop playing favorites." He vowed, wanting to correct his mistakes. "I should never have abandon you guys to train him, even if you guys said it was okay. Maybe if I hadn't-"
"Nuh-uh Kakashi-sensei, not you too." Naruto wagged his finger, a cross between a pout and a stern expression on his face. "No more looking back on stuff! If you start doing it again, me and neechan will have to take away your books again!"
Kakashi immediately put his hand to his supply pouch where his Icha-Icha was, while Naruto and Sakura grinned evilly. "No! Don't take away the precious! Kakashi will be a good boy, Kakashi promises!" he wailed, bowing his head to the ground.
He was interrupted from his begging by a snort, as Sakura tried to contain her laughter. The jonin's head shot up, and the pleading expression on it caused the genin to burst into hysterics.
"I guess I deserved that." Kakashi chuckled, joining on his student's laughter.
Flashback End
Naruto was interrupted from his musings by the voice of his teacher, who was staring at him in annoyance.
"Stop calling me that gaki! Show some respect!" Jiraiya shouted.
"I'll stop calling you that when you stop being a pervert!" Naruto retorted.
"I already told you! I'm not a pervert!" Jiraiya protested, before a lecherous grin spread across his face. "I'm a super pervert!" He declared proudly, thumbing his chest.
"…." Naruto stared at the Sannin, his eyebrow twitching. "What do you want Ero-sennin?" The blonde deadpanned, causing the self-proclaimed super pervert to face-fault.
"Kids these days have no respect for their elders!" Jiraiya whined, twin waterfalls running down his face. Naruto simply snorted in response, and the Sannin decided it was time to stop messing around. "In all seriousness, I want to train you. Full time." Jiraiya offered, and Naruto's eyes widened at the prospect. "But you have to do one thing for me first."
"I'm not using my Oiroke no Jutsu again."
Jiraiya face-faulted again. "Stupid gaki, that's not what I was going to ask!" Jiraiya screamed, smacking Naruto across the head. Taking a deep breath, Jiraiya managed to ignore the un-flattering curses that his prospective student was muttering, continuing with his earlier line of thought. "No, I want you to forget about Sasuke. He's lost to you, and nothing you will ever do can get him to come back. Only a fool would continue to chase after him. So if I'm going to train you, then you need to give up on him."
Naruto's eyes widened to the size of saucers, before turning into a menacing scowl. The blonde didn't notice, but his teacher did; his eyes flashed red for a moment before shifting back to their normal blue.
"Then I'm a fool." Naruto stated bluntly, surprising the Sannin. "And I'll remain a fool for the rest of my life if I have to. I never give up on my friends, especially if it's Sasuke-niisan. Besides, I promised Sakura-neechan that I would get her boyfriend back, and I never go back on my word. That's my nindo, and I would rather die than abandoned it." The blonde spoke with such conviction, such strength of will, Jiraiya could have sworn he was looking at the ghost of his former student.
"Well then, I guess we better make you strong enough to survive as a fool eh?" The Sannin joked, enjoying the look of shock that spread across his new apprentices face. "We'll be leaving tomorrow. We'll be gone for almost three years, so pack only the important stuff."
"Three years?!" Naruto's eyes bugged out of his head. He could learn a lot of stuff during that time! But as the excitement wore off, he became worried about Sakura and Kakashi. "But what about-"
"Relax gaki, I already cleared it with Kakashi." Jiraiya assured him. "And that pink-haired banshee you call a sister has just been accepted as Tsuande-hime's apprentice, so she'll be training hard too." Jiraiya chuckled, before an evil grin spread across his face. Naruto quailed at the look his master was giving him. "You two are in for hell, you know that right? Tsunade and I will break you, build you back up, then break you again. It will be the toughest thing you've ever done, and it will be up to you if you succeed at the end or not."
Naruto simply matched the grin with one of his own, impressing the Sannin. "I'm ready for anything Ero-sennin. I'll take whatever you throw at me and give it right back twice as hard. I'll never quit, and I don't run. I will beat your stupid training, then I'll be that much closer to becoming Hokage!" Naruto shouted the last part, jumping out of his bed and glaring up at his new master.
"That's the spirit gaki." Jiraiya smirked. The Sannin knew that if his new student was anything like his father, then by the time he was through with him, he'd be an absolute monster. "Well, I've gotta go take care of some research before we head out. Don't forget, the front gates at seven tomorrow. Be there, or I'm leaving your butt behind."
With that last bit of information, the Toad Sage jumped out the window. Naruto watched him go for a moment, before ripping off the bandages that covered him from head to toe. Hurriedly grabbing his ragged clothes from the night stand, he rushed into the bathroom. Giving a nod to his completely healed reflection, despite the dull ache in his chest, he quickly shucked his hospital gown and pulled on the remains of his orange jacket and pants. Clothed in the remains of his previous outfit, he dashed to the window, before leaping off to his apartment.
00000
"Alright Ero-sennin, let's get moving!" The exuberant teen shouted, before being slapped across the back of the head.
"Be quiet gaki." Jiraiya growled, rubbing his throbbing temples. "I've got one hell of a hangover, in addition to a sleepless night." The Sannin paused, then giggled perversely. "Worth it."
"Whatever. Baka ero-sennin." Naruto muttered, shouldering the pack that fell of when he was smacked. He had the basics inside; food, clothes, his money, all of his ninja tools, and the picture of Team Seven. It depressed him that he didn't get to say goodbye to anyone, but at least Tsunade-baachan would tell them where he was. Heaving a sigh, he looked up at his new sensei, only to find him smirking and looking at something behind Naruto.
"Otouto-baka, you didn't think you could leave without saying goodbye did you?" Sakura called out, her tone mocking yet loving.
Naruto whirled around, and his eyes widened as he spotted nearly everyone he knew there. Sakura and Kakashi were there, leading the way for everyone else. Just behind them were Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku, with bright but sad smiles on their faces.
Behind them was Team 8, with Kiba wrapped in an upper body cast from his injuries. Hinata was blushing lightly, but had small smile on her face. Shino, stoic as ever, showed no outward emotion although the buzzing of his Kikai bugs showed that he was happy. Kurenai was walking right behind Hinata, a small smile on her face.
Next was Team 9, although Neji was stuck in a wheelchair and Lee was hobbling on crutches. Tenten was pushing Neji, a very slight blush on her face that quickly disappeared as she examined their sensei. Gai was assisting his clone, while spouting nonsense about their 'Flames of Youth' being too bright to dampen.
Last but not least was Team 10, with a surprisingly skinny Chouji leading the way. Based on the amount of chips he was scarfing at an inhuman speed, that wouldn't last long. Ino was looking at him in slight disgust and mild fascination, while Shikamaru simply seemed half asleep. Asuma had a small smile on his face, and for once the bearded jonin wasn't smioking.
Naruto grinned, happy tears in his eyes as all of his precious people came to wish him goodbye. None of them were long goodbyes, but they were all meaningful. A tearful hug with Ayame and Sakura; a fatherly talk with Kakashi; some back slapping and praising from Chouji, Kiba, Lee, and surprisingly Neji; a scolding for leaving her best friend for three years from Ino; well-wishes from all the jonin sensei (and a spandex suit from Guy, which Kakashi promptly burned). Finally, having tried to hide at the back, Hinata came forward, fiddling with a small jar in her hands.
"Hey Hinata." Naruto said softly, a true smile still etched on his face. The indigo-haired girl felt her insides melt, and a fierce heat rushed to her face. Red as a tomato, she thrust the container into Naruto's face while bowing her head. Naruto cocked his head to the side, closing his eyes in puzzlement while inwardly grinning at her shy behavior. "What's this?" He asked dumbly, hoping to coax her into talking.
"I-I-It's s-some of m-my m-med-medical cr-cream th-that I m-made." She stammered out, cursing her stutter. She waited for a response for nearly a full minute, before finally deciding to look at his face. What she saw made her blush intensify, and nearly made her faint.
Naruto was looking at her with his vivid blue eyes, a small smile spreading across his face. Said eyes sparkled with happiness and admiration, with just a hint of mischief. "Thank you Hinata-chan." Naruto said sincerely, taking the cream out of her hands. A slight blush adorned his cheeks when their hands touched, but it went completely unnoticed by Hinata.
Said Hyuuga had completely frozen up, her mind nearly shutting down. Her skin went completely white as her love-struck mind tried to process what her not-so-little crush had said. The instant the words registered, nearly a full fifteen seconds after they were spoken, her face quickly competed with the rising sun for brightness. She attempt to stammer out a response, before Naruto's blue eyes became too much for her, and she resorted to her ultimate defense mechanism.
She fainted, right into the waiting arms of Kurenai.
Naruto blink in shock, before snickering as his plan came to fruition. "Heh heh, was wondering when that was gonna happen. It's pretty cute." The blonde said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as Kurenai and Neji glared at him. The looks simply didn't affect him, having received them his entire life, and he simply pocketed the cream before turning to Jiraiya.
"Enough of the cutesy crap gaki, we've got stuff to do. So get your rear in gear, and let's go." The Sannin huffed in annoyance. His annoyance stemmed from the fact that when he had tried to take notes on Naruto and Hinata's interaction, Kurenai had ripped his notebook out of his hands and tossed it to Kakashi, who set it on fire. The former simply hated perverts, while both refused to have their students be used for the Sannin's perverted book series, despite Kakashi being an avid fan. Jiraiya had lost nearly a week's worth of drawings and notes for Kami's sake, and that annoyed the crap out of him. So the irritable super-pervert simply turned and started strolling down the road, intent on covering a lot of ground during the day.
Naruto waved one last goodbye, before turning and hurrying after the retreating Toad Sage. Teams 8-10 quickly separated to begin their own days, while Kakashi and Sakura remained at the gate until Naruto disappeared from view.
"I wish he could have stayed." Sakura sniffed, saddened by the leaving of her otouto. "I just get the feeling that something really bad is going to happen to him." She looked over at Kakashi, who gave her a reassuring smile.
"I'm sure he'll be fine." The cycloptic jonin assured her. "After all, he is the number one most unpredictable knuckle-headed ninja. I'm sure he'll be back before you know it, and stronger than ever." Sakura smiled at his reassurance, before he placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her away. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, you have some training to get to with Hokage-sama."
00000
Three years. He hadn't been here in three years.
Naruto stepped through the gates of his old home, ignoring the shocked looks from the guards as he passed. Jiraiya smirked at their expression while he kept pace with his apprentice. The blonde looked up at the Sannin, noticing the small margin between their heights, with a pleading look on his face. The old man sighed, before nodding.
Naruto grinned, before adjusting the bundle in his arms. He leapt up to the top of a nearby pole, being extremely careful while doing so, and gazed excitedly over his home.
"Wow, this place hasn't changed a bit." His deep voice said fondly, before smiling softly at the squeal that came from the bundle in his arms. He quickly took a deep breath, before shouting out for everyone to hear.
"Hey everyone! Uzumaki Naruto is back!"